Karen's Operation
by Rachel D
Summary: Karen needs to have her tonsils out. However, just when she's feeling really down, she gets an offer she can't refuse. No flames whatsoever! COMPLETED!
1. After the Party

_**KAREN'S OPERATION**_

A/N: Just for the record, there are quite a few differences between this and Karen's Accident. This also picks up where Karen's Choir Trip left off.

**CHAPTER 1: After the Party**

Hi, again. Karen Brewer here. I'm ten years old, and in the fall, I'll be entering sixth grade at Kelsey Middle School. I have blond hair, blue eyes, a few freckles, and two pairs of glasses. I wear blue ones for reading or doing anything up close, and pink ones for distance. I don't wear glasses when I'm sleeping, in the shower, or swimming. I wear earplugs when I swim, though. (I may consider getting contacts when I'm older, though.)

Oh, while I'm at it, I should probably update you on a few things. First of all, I'm a member of a children's show choir called the Stoneybrook Kids. That's a group of kids between the ages of seven and eleven, and it was recently started by Mr. Drubek, who's the choir director at SMS, and Jason Everett, who's a hero to a lot of us kids. We were recently invited to compete in the international competition in Washington, DC, and it was a blast! We won Class C Champion, Best Costumes, and my brother, Andrew, who just turned eight, won for Best Individual Performer. It was the most fun I've ever had in my life.

Like I said, Jason was not only one of our directors, but also one of our chaperones. On the day that we'd left for Washington, he wasn't feeling well, and we later found out that he needed his appendix out. He was in the hospital for three days, then was released. He's doing much better now. In fact, I still remember seeing him collapse at Rax like it was yesterday.

Anyway, we'd had a party at Daddy and Elizabeth's mansion, and just when the party was starting to break up, I felt my recurring headache coming back, so I headed for the couch. "Oh, come _on,_ give me a break," I groaned softly as I took off my glasses and closed my eyes. Here I was, just basking in the afterglow of everything and not feeling well. I guess all the excitement had caught up with me in more ways than one.

At that moment, the Everetts came over to me. "Well, we're leaving now," Steve said.

"Are you?" I asked, opening my eyes and putting my glasses back on.

"Yeah," he said. Jason rubbed my shoulders.

"See you," I said as they left.

Soon after that, Kristy came over and sat beside me on the couch. "Are you all right, Karen?" she asked.

"Not really," I admitted. "My headache's back, and I don't feel so good."

Seth shook his head sympathetically.

"Oh," Mom said. "If you'd like, I can call Dr. Dellenkamp's office in the morning, and see what time she can see you."

"Okay," I said, coughing.

Mom stood up, then she and Kristy helped me to my feet. "I'll call you in the morning, and let you know what time we're going to the doctor," Mom said.

"Okay," I whispered. "Thank you."

Whatever this was, I was just wishing it would go away.


	2. 1 Plus 1 Equals 2

**CHAPTER 2: 1 Plus 1 Equals 2**

Now would be a good time to explain who all these people are. You see, my parents were once happily married, but when Andrew and I were really little, they got a divorce. Daddy stayed at the big house, because it's where he grew up, and Mom took Andrew and me, and moved into her little house.

Shortly after that, my parents got remarried. No, not to each other, but I used to wish they would. When the divorce first happened, Andrew really hated it when I talked about it. In fact, just before my seventh birthday, I tried to get my two families together for a big birthday bash, but it didn't work out quite the way I'd planned, even though my two families were together for a few minutes. Mom met and married Seth, who's our stepfather. Seth has a ct named Rocky and a dog named Midgie.

Soon after that, Daddy met and married Elizabeth, who's our stepmother. She has four kids from her first marriage, so I have three stepbrothers and a stepsister. My two oldest stepbrothers—Charlie, who's almost twenty-one, and Sam, who's nineteen—attend NYU, where Charlie's going to be a senior and Sam's going to be a sophomore. Kristy, my stepsister, is almost seventeen, and will be a senior at Stoneybrook High School. She's also the president of the Baby-sitters Club. They're a great group of girls that baby-sit for kids all over town, and I hope they don't break up when they go to college. David Michael, who's also in the Stoneybrook Kids, is eleven. This fall, when I enter Kelsey Middle School, he'll be entering Stoneybrook Middle School. (By the way, Stoneybrook Academy does have upper grades, but my parents talked to the parents of some of my friends, and they decided to let us try public school for those.)

The only other person at the big house, which is what I've always called Daddy's house, is Emily. Daddy and Elizabeth adopted her from Vietnam when she was two. Now, she's almost six. She'll be in first grade at Stoneybrook Academy, and Andrew will be in third. Nannie, Elizabeth's mother, used to live there, too, but she moved out when Emily started school.

There are also pets at the big house. There's Shannon, David Micahel's dog, and Pumpkin, their cat. She came to live there shortly before Boo-Boo, Daddy's old cat, passed away. I also have a best friend near each house. Nancy Dawes lives next door to Mom's little house, and Hannie Papadakis lives across the street from Daddy's big house. I also used to have a pet rat that traveled back and forth with me, Emily Junior (I'll bet you can't guess who I named her after?) Since Daddy and Elizabeth said that Emily could now have a pet, I gave Emily my rat so I wouldn't have to take rat and equipment between houses each month.

Since Andrew and I have two of almost everything, I used to call us Karen and Andrew Two-Two. I got the name from a book that my second-grade teacher, Ms. Colman (hopefully, when Emily is in second grade, she'll be lucky to have Ms. Colman for her teacher, just like Andrew and I did) read our class called _Jacob Two-Two Meets The Hooded Fang. _Well, guess what? Andrew has now heard that book, too, so now _he _calls us that. Surprised? I'm not.

Well, anyway, back to me. After Mom and Seth left, I went upstairs to get ready for bed. I'd just laid my watch on the nightstand when Kristy came into my room. "How are you feeling?" she asked, laying a hand on my forehead.

"Oh, horrible," I said.

"Well, no offense, but you sound pretty horrible, too."

"None taken," I said, laying my glasses on the nightstand and flopping back onto the bed.

Kristy brushed my hair out of my face and laid her hands on my cheeks. "You do feel pretty warm," she said.

I groaned and turned my head to the side. "I'll be right back," Kristy told me. She left the room and returned with a thermometer a few minutes later.

"Just relax," she told me. "I'm going to take your temperature." She slipped the thermometer into my mouth and removed it a minute later when it beeped. "100.6," she read.

As turned onto my side and prepared to go to sleep, I thought, _Oh, great. First, I break my wrist, then I have to have my spleen removed, now this. Haven't I suffered enough?_


	3. At the Doctor

**CHAPTER 3: At The Doctor**

During the night, I barely slept, mostly because I was so miserable. Each time I woke up, I looked at the clock. At 11:17, Daddy came in to take my temperature—101, like Jason's had been that one day—before he and Elizabeth went to bed. At 1:01, I went to the bathroom and puked up everything I'd eaten at the party. As I flushed the toilet and laid the side of my head against the toilet bowl, I remembered when Mom gave Jason permission to let us watch the Everetts' _Bill Cosby, Himself _DVD, and if I wasn't so sick, I would've started quoting the "Thank you, toilet bowl!" bit from that movie.

Then I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said.

"Karen, what's wrong? Are you all right, honey?" Elizabeth's voice asked. She laid a hand on my forehead. "Oh, you're burning up." She ran some water on a washcloth and wiped my face and hands.

"When did this start?" Elizabeth asked as she hung the washcloth up and handed me a glass of water to rinse my mouth out.

I spit the mouthful of water into the sink and answered, "Just now."

"Well, I think the worst of it is over now," she said. "I'll let your father know first thing in the morning, okay?" I nodded, and she took me back to bed.

That wasn't the end of the miserable night, though. At 2:47, 3:56, and 5:02, I woke up and tried to find a cool place to lie down. Just as the sun was rising, Elizabeth came in to take my temperature. Like it had sometimes been over the past few days, it was 99.8.

The next thing I knew, Andrew and Emily caem into my room. "Time to get up, Karen," Andrew said. "Daddy's fixing breakfast."

I groaned and rolled over. "Are you all right?" Emily asked worriedly, laying a hand on my cheek.

"I don't feel so good," I told my younger siblings. I put my glasses on, and looked at the clock. It read 8:05.

"Need some help?" Andrew asked as I started to sit up, which was easier said than done. Ever try sitting up when you've been awake half the night hurling your guts out? It's like having a 10-lb. weight strapped to your head.

"No, I think I can manage," I answered as I got out of bed and followed them to the kitchen.

When I got to the kitchen, I sat down at the table and rested my chin on my hands. "Poor kid," Elizabeth said, stroking my hair.

Just then, the phone rang. Daddy went to answer it as Elizabeth handed me a piece of raisin toast with butter and honey on it, and a glass of milk. "Hello?" I heard Daddy say. "Oh, hi, Lisa...Yes, I've noticed Karen hasn't been feeling well. Well, after you and Seth left last night...Oh, boy, I had a feeling you'd say that...Okay, I'll tell her...Thanks, 'bye."

When Daddy hung up and came back into the kitchen, he said, "Karen, your mother will be here around noon to pick you up."

I nodded, finished my piece of toast, drank half the glass of milk, then went upstairs to get dressed. I put on a blue T-shirt that had tropical fish on it, and the matching shorts with my blue Crocs. This outfit is one of my favorites, because Sam once told me that he wished he could put my shirt in a picture frame and hang it on the wall.

"Well, Karen, I'll see you later," Elizabeth said, kissing the top of my head, as I sat on the couch.

"'Bye," I said.

I spent the morning on the couch, watching boring old grown-up shows that Daddy had put on. I was also hoping Mom and the doctor would soon know what was wrong with me.

As promised, Mom picked me up around noon. "How are you feeling?" she asked as I got in the car, fastened my seatbelt, and laid my head back against the seat.

"Well, honestly, Mom, I couldn't feel any worse if you filled a football helmet with cement and dropped it on my foot," I answered.

Mom laughed a little. "Somehow, I think that would feel worse," she agreed.

"Yeah, I suppose, but I've still felt better."

At that moment, we pulled into the parking lot at Dr. Dellenkamp's office. As we got out of the car, I felt tears coming to my eyes, because my throat hurt so much.

When we got inside, Mom told the receptionist that we were there while I went to sit on the couch. When Mom joined me a few minutes later, I laid my head in her lap. I felt like I was six years old again. I'm pretty sure that people were staring at me sympathetically. Well, most of them were, anyway.

"Karen Brewer?" the nurse called a few minutes later. We followed her to Room 104, where she checked my vital signs. "The doctor will be with you shortly," she said before she left.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with me?" I asked Mom as I laid down on the examining table. I was also remembering when I'd seen Jason collapse outside the restrooms at the Rax in Washington, DC.

"Well, I'm not too sure, but it's possible that you might need your tonsils out," Mom answered.

Upon hearing this, I should've been surprised, but I wasn't. I'd had tonsillitis every other month for the past year, not to mention missing a total of six weeks of school because of it. I'm surprised I wasn't held back.

I also remembered Christina, who had been in my class last year. When I was in the hospital after having my spleen removed, she'd been there having her tonsils out. At the time, we'd been in second grade. I'd been in Ms. Colman's class, and she'd been in Mr. Berger's class.

At that moment, I heard Dr. Dellenkamp come in. "Good afternoon, and how are we today?" she asked.

I sat up. This was one of the few times I was actually glad to hear her voice. The only other time I can remember that happening was when I went to the ER after I broke my wrist.

"She says her throat hurts," Mom answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, let's have a look, shall we?" Without being asked, I opened my mouth and the doctor shone her little light inside it. After a minute, she said, "Well, I'm afraid those tonsils are going to have to come out, Karen."

"I thought so," Mom said.

"Well," the doctor said, "we have an opening for Karen at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. I'd like her to be at the hospital by 5:30 this afternoon, and I'll let the nurse know she's coming."

"Thanks," Mom said.

"And nothing to eat or drink after midnight."

"Okay," Mom agreed. I nodded.

"And," the doctor continued, "in the meantime, I'll write a new prescription for some antibiotics, even though I know she won't finish them until after the surgery."

Now I finally knew what was wrong with me, and the sooner we took care of this, the better.


	4. At The Hospital

**CHAPTER 4: At The Hospital**

Mom and I stopped at McDonald's for lunch, and all I was able to eat was a small fry with a small Coke—not just because I'd been so sick, but that was the only thing that didn't make my throat hurt like fire. Best of all, Mom made sure to ask for extra ice.

When we got back, we saw Daddy, Kristy, and Jason in the front yard. Daddy was using the weed whacker, and Kristy and Jason were sitting on the porch swing. When I got out of the car, I saw Daddy finish his chore and heard Mom say, "Watson, can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Daddy said.

I didn't hear the whole conversation, but I had a pretty good idea of what Mom was telling him. "How are you feeling?" Kristy asked as I sat between her and Jason on the porch swing, and laid my head on Jason's shoulder, just like I'd done during the trip home from Washington.

"Well, I need to have my tonsils out," I told them.

"Poor kid," Jason said sympathetically. I snuggled closer to him as he petted my hair.

Just then, Mom and Daddy joined us on the porch. "I'll be here around 5:00, and we'll go to the hospital," Mom said. I nodded.

I know this is probably the craziest thing you'd ever heard, but I couldn't wait to have this operation.

During the afternoon, Kristy helped me pack for the hospital. I threw a duffel bag onto the bed, and packed the few things I would need: my reading glasses, my Walkman with my Britney Spears and _Glee _CDs in it, my copy of _Ramona Quimby, Age 8, _and a clean outfit to wear home (a white sundress with clean underwear), as well as a hair brush, my toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, and some fresh batteries for my Walkman, just in case.

Promptly at 5:00, Mom pulled up in front of the house and honked the horn. Daddy put an arm across my shoulders and escorted me to the car. "We'll be there for your surgery tomorrow afternoon, okay?" he said, giving me a kiss and opening the passenger door for me. I put my duffel bag at my feet as soon as I sat down.

"'Bye," I said. He closed the door, and I waved as the car drove away.

When we arrived at the hospital, a nurse met us at the front desk. "Karen Brewer is here," Mom said.

"This way," the nurse said, and I liked her immediately. She had shoulder-length black hair, was wearing a pair of pink scrubs, and her name tag read "Missy". She led us to the elevator, and pressed the button for the third floor.

As the elevator headed to the third floor, Missy said, "So, you're having your tonsils out tomorrow, huh?" I nodded.

"Don't worry," she said, patting my shoulder. "It'll be all over before you know it, and you can have all the ice cream you want."

I smiled as I remembered how Christina had also told me about that.

"Well, here we are," Missy said as the elevator stopped. We got off, and she led us around the corner and into the first room.

"The call button is right there," the nurse said, pointing her thumb in that direction as she put the little plastic ID bracelet around my wrist. Then she handed me a hospital gown. "I'll give you some time to change your clothes."

As I went into the bathroom to change, I thought about Jason and Christina. I remembered when we'd visited Jason at the hospital in Washington, DC, and when I'd seen Christina in the playroom, which was badly in need of fixing up at the time. I was glad we'd done it, and it looks so much better now.

When I came out of the bathroom, I handed my clothes to Mom. She put them in a plastic bag to take home as I climbed into bed, and the nurse checked my vital signs.

After Missy left, Mom said, "Are you looking forward to having your tonsils out?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "I'm a little scared, but I think I can handle it."

Mom patted my shoulder. "I know you'll be just fine," she said. "In fact, I'll stay here until you go to sleep, then I have to get back to Seth."

"Okay."

I was also looking forward to the next day, and wondered what it would bring.


	5. Later that Night

**CHAPTER 5: Later That Night**

About an hour after I'd settled in, Dr. Dellenkamp came in, followed by another doctor, who looked the same way Noah Wyle did during parts of the fifth and tenth seasons of _ER. _

"Karen, this is Dr. Johns, and he's an ear, nose, and throat specialist. He'll actually be the one performing your surgery, and I'm going to assist him," Dr. Dellenkamp explained.

"Hi, Karen," he said, shaking my hand. The first thing I noticed was that he had a fairly thick Scottish accent, like Jason's mom, Diann. With that, he did a brief examination of his own.

"What's this surgery going to involve?" Mom asked as soon as Dr. Johns finished examining me.

"Well, as soon as Karen is asleep, Dr. Dellenkamp will hold her mouth open, and I'll cut the tonsils out," Dr. Johns explained. "The surgery shouldn't take more than an hour, tops."

"Okay."

"Well, see you in the morning, Karen," Dr. Johns said as he and Dr. Dellenkamp left the room.

Soon after they left, I got another visitor. This woman looked slightly familiar, but I couldn't quite place her. "Hi," she said. "Remember me? I'm Dr. Johanssen, Charlotte's mom."

I nodded. "So, I hear you're having your tonsils out tomorrow," Dr. Johanssen said. I nodded again.

"I hope it doesn't take too long for you to recover. When Charlotte had hers out, she couldn't talk for two days, and it was at least a week before her voice came back."

I laid back against the pillow as Dr. Johanssen patted my shoulder. "Well, I'll let you get some rest now," she said. "Do you want me to tell Charlotte you said hi?"

I nodded again. "Okay," Dr. Johanssen agreed. With that, she left the room.

As soon as Dr. Johanssen left, Mom said, "Would you like something to eat? Remember, the doctor says you won't be able to eat or drink anything after midnight."

I shook my head. "I'm a little tired, so I think I'll get some rest," I said.

"Okay," Mom said, giving me a kiss and picking up the bag with my clothes. "Well, see you in the morning."

"Will Jason come?" I asked hopefully.

"Well, he's still recovering from his own surgery, but I'll talk to Diann," she promised.

"See you," I said as she walked out of the room.

As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered what the surgery would be like, and how long I'd be in the hospital. Hopefully, it wouldn't be quite as long as when I fell out of my treehouse at Mom's and had my spleen removed. By the way, don't tell Andrew or Emily that after you have your tonsils out, they'll give you all the ice cream you want, because I guarantee you, they'll be shoveling that stuff into their mouths like the world was coming to an end!


	6. The Next Morning

**CHAPTER 6: The Next Morning**

The next morning, I was awakened early when a nurse came into my room. I had no idea who this lady was, mostly because I wasn't wearing my glasses and couldn't see her name tag. "I'm going to put this IV into your arm," she said, wiping my arm with a cotton ball. "This won't take very long."

I'd had an IV before. The last time I'd been in the hospital, I'd been hooked up to one, so I didn't feel the pinch when the needle went into the back of my hand. After the nurse left, I went back to sleep.

I was awakened again later that morning when Mom and Seth arrived, followed by Daddy and Elizabeth. Jason was right behind them. "Jason! What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Your mum talked to my mum, and she gave me special permission to be here," he explained.

"Good," I said, reaching up and touching the scar on his face. He pressed his hand against the spot, and smiled.

At that moment, two nurses came in to take me to the pre-op area. I recognized one of them right away. "Brian!" I said hoarsely. It was great to see him! I hadn't seen him since I'd had my spleen removed, which was three years ago. He still looked pretty much the same, except that his sandy-colored hair now had a few gray streaks at the temples, and he also had a big bushy moustache.

"Hi, Karen," he said as he and the other nurse (a gray-haired woman named Sarah) helped me onto the gurney.

When we got to the pre-op area—which was where I'd sleep off the anesthesia—the nurses helped me to the bed. "Can you stay with me until they take me to surgery?" I asked Jason.

"Sure," he said. "I'll even sing 'Soft Kitty' while we wait, if you'd like."

I couldn't help smiling. _The Big Bang Theory _happens to be one of the big house family's favorite shows, and I'm told the Everetts watch it, too.

"See you," Daddy said, kissing my forehead, then all four of my parents left the room.

As Brian checked my vital signs, Jason started to sing, _"Soft kit-ty, warm kit-ty, lit-tle ball of fur-r; hap-py kit-ty, slee-py kit-ty, purr-purr-purr-r..." _I couldn't help smiling again, and I was also glad I hadn't separated my shoulder from slipping and falling in the shower, if you know what I mean.

After Brian was finished with that, he put two electrodes on my chest, under my top. "We're going to monitor the activity of your heart during surgery," he explained. "Even though you're having minor surgery, we just want to make sure you're okay." With that, he left the room.

Jason patted my shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "When I woke up after my appendectomy, I was hooked up to the same machines." Then he kissed me on the cheek. I was a little surprised, because he'd never done that before. I also knew it was just the thing to help me get through this. If there's one thing Jason knows how to do, it's make someone feel better.

At that moment, two nurses came to take me to surgery. One had curly red hair, and coincidentally, her name tag read "Annie". The other was a man who looked like Chris Meloni from _Law & Order: SVU. _His name tag read "Peter".

"See you later," Jason said, patting my shoulder. I took my glasses off and handed them to him as one of the nurses put a blue puffy cap on my head. "Do you want me to give these to your mum?" he asked, putting them in the white foam case that had been provided. I nodded. With that, we went out into the hall, and one of the nurses pointed him in the direction of the waiting room.

When I arrived at the OR, the nurses helped me transfer to the table and covered me with a blanket, then Dr. Johns put a bubble-gum flavored mask over my nose and mouth. "Can you take some deep breaths for me, sweetheart?" he asked. "I also want you to count backwards from twenty."

"Twenty...nineteen...eighteen...seventeen...sixteen..." I counted, and soon felt the gas overtake me. I closed my eyes and was soon fast asleep. It reminded me a little of how my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Kushel, would ramble on and on about a certain topic for hours and hours and...hours. The only difference was, not only did I not have to listen to that, but it also took a _lot _less time to go to sleep!


	7. Post Surgery

**CHAPTER 7: Post Surgery**

When I woke up, Mom and Seth were standing beside the bed. "Your surgery is over. Y ou did very well," Mom said, stroking my hair.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Brian stopped me. "Don't try to talk, honey," he said, handing me a pen and a pad of paper. "If you have something to say, write it down."

I wrote something on the pad, and held it up. "'Am I alive?'" Mom repeated. I nodded. I was also a little surprised that she could read what I'd written, considering how loopy I was from the anesthesia.

"Yes, honey," she said, stroking my hair.

I wrote _Thank God!, _and held it up. Mom and Seth smiled, then I flipped to the next sheet on the pad.

"Karen, I promise you're going to be as good as new," Seth said. "You'll get your voice back within a week, tops. Maybe even before that."

_A week! _I wrote. If I couldn't talk until then, what was I going to do, besides get a bad case of writer's cramp? Oh, well, at least I'd be able to see and hear everybody.

The next thing I wrote was, _Where's Jason?, _then I flipped to the next sheet on the pad.

"He's still in the waiting room," Mom answered. "Want me to get him?" I nodded. "Okay. I'm sure he'll be glad to see that you're all right."

Just then, the nurse came in and took the electrodes off my chest. She had platinum-blond hair, like me, and her name tag read "Debbie". "We're taking Karen back to her room now," she said. I couldn't help noticing that she had an Australian accent, like the Hobarts.

"Okay," Mom said. When we got back out into the hall, I heard her say, "I'll get Jason, and you go with Karen back to her room."

"Okay," Seth said.

When we returned to my room, Seth and the nurse helped me back into bed. "I'll be back later this afternoon, and we'll see about taking a walk," the nurse said.

I leaned back against the pillow as Mom and Jason returned. Mom laid my glasses on the bedside table, and I put them on. "Hi, Karen," Jason said. "How are you feeling?"

I picked up the pad and pen and wrote, _I'm fine, considering the fact that I can't talk._

"Poor kid," he said, taking my hand.

At that moment, the nurse returned with a bowl of ice-cream. "I hope you like ice cream," she said.

_Oh, boy, do I! _I thought as she set the bowl in front of me. I took a bite, and reacted when the cold hit my sore throat. The worst part was that it was cherry-vanilla, one of my all-time favorite flavors.

I managed a few bites, then set the bowl aside. _Can I have a potato patty? _I wrote.

"I'll see what I can do," Debbie said. Within minutes, she returned with one. I had an even harder time eating it, because my throat was still so sore.

"That's all right," the nurse said. "We'll try again later."

As I laid back against the pillow, Jason handed me my Walkman, and laid my book and reading glasses on the bedside table. "Now, don't go back to sleep until after I've left," he said.

I managed a weak smile, remembering that I'd told him the same thing when we'd visited him at the hospital in Washington, DC.

As the sounds of "Imagine" by John Lennon blared from my Walkman, I couldn't wait to get home, and better yet, I couldn't wait to get my voice back.


	8. Getting Up and Around

**CHAPTER 8: Getting Up And Around**

A little later that afternoon, probably shortly after what the hospital calls shift change—when the day staff goes home, and the evening staff comes in—a nurse came in. She was an African-American woman with shoulder-length black hair in ringlets, and her name tag read "Brenda".

"Time to get up and walk," she told me.

I glanced at Jason. He hadn't left his chair since I'd come back to my room. All of my parents had gone home, but Daddy said that he'd come in the morning, so he'd be there to take me when the doctor said I could go home.

The nurse lowered the bedrail, and without being asked, Jason got up from his chair. The two of them helped me to my feet. "Where would you like to go?" Jason asked.

"I thought maybe Karen could show you the playroom," Brenda suggested.

"Yeah!" I whispered. "You can see how we fixed it up!"

"Sure," Jason said. The three of us walked out of the room and into the hall.

Brenda led the way. I opened the door, and we stepped inside. "You see," I explained in a whisper, "this room was in horrible shape. The paint was peeling, and some of the toys were old and broken. When I got out of the hospital after having my spleen removed, Hannie, Nancy, Christina, and I organized a toy drive. We collected so many toys that we had to have Seth build these shelves for them."

"Wow, that was awfully nice of you," Jason said. I led him around the room, and pointed out what we'd done. After a few minutes, he asked, "Would you like to go back to your room now?" I nodded.

Jason led me back to my room and settled me into bed. That's when the nurse returned with dinner, which, of course, included a potato patty. If you ask me, I think all tonsillectomy patients should be required to eat one. I should write a letter to the Surgeon General, asking him or her about that.

I managed a few bites, then came the inevitable. "Jason? I think I'm going to throw up."

Jason very quickly opened the cabinet under the sink and got out a metal pan. "I remembered where it was from my own hospital stay," he explained, handing it to me.

I puked up everything: dinner, the potato patty, and the ice cream, then I started to cry. Okay, so maybe it wasn't as bad as the time I threw up on the school bus when I was in second grade, but I was still pretty upset.

Jason wrapped me in a hug, and stroked my hair. "Shh," he whispered. "It'll be all right. Nobody expects you to keep your first meal down when you've had surgery."

While Jason held me, I couldn't help noticing that his muscles felt like two boulders. I decided that he must work out at least once a day. I buried my face into his chest as I sobbed, just listening to his heartbeat. It felt so wonderful, I didn't want to let go.

A few minutes later, I released myself from Jason's grasp, and he handed me a tissue from the bedside table. Then he checked his watch and said, Well, it's almost time for me to go. I promised Mum I'd call as soon as I was ready." He reached for the phone and called Diann.

While we waited, Jason handed me another tissue. That's when the nurse came in to clean and empty out the metal pan. "Sorry," I whispered to her.

"No problem," she said as Jason rubbed my back.

After the nurse left, Jason said, "So, you're leaving tomorrow, huh?" I nodded. "I'll probably be at your dad's when you get back. I've got my own doctor's appointment, too." I glanced up at him. "You see, when I had the follow-up with the doctor in Washington, he told Mum to schedule an appointment for me with my own doctor here, and tomorrow's the earliest I could get in."

That was when Diann and Bebe came in. "Hi, Karen," Bebe said. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm doing much better than I was this afternoon, but now, I can't talk above a whisper," I answered.

"Poor thing," Diann said.

Bebe nodded. "We won't stay long. We just came by to pick Jason up, and see how you were doing."

About an hour later, they left. I laid back against the pillow and closed my eyes. I was just glad to be going home tomorrow.


	9. Welcome Home, Part One

**CHAPTER 9: Welcome Home, Part One**

The next morning, I was awakened early, but not quite as early as the day before, when Brian came into my room. "Dr. Dellenkamp will be here this afternoon, and you'll probably get to go home then," he said as he took the IV out of my arm.

"Good," I whispered.

Soon after Brian left, Daddy arrived, "I may get to go home this afternoon," I told him.

Brian returned to my room after the nurse had left with my breakfast tray. "Would you like to take another walk?" he asked.

I nodded. He helped me to my feet.

Daddy and I walked up and down the hall, and I even peeked into the playroom. I saw a sandy-haired boy who looked like he was around Andrew's age, sitting at the table, playing with a toy truck. One of his legs was propped up on a chair beside him, and a pair of crutches was leaning against the table. "Hi," I said as I walked into the room.

"Hi," he answered. "I'm Miko."

"I'm Karen," I said, shaking his hand. "You know, when I was in second grade, my class and I fixed up this playroom."

"Really?" he asked. "What are you here for?"

"I just had my tonsils out yesterday," I answered. "I'm leaving this afternoon. You?"

"Just had my left leg operated on a couple of days ago," he answered, gesturing toward the crutches. "You see, when I was four years old, it got caught in a lawn mower." I couldn't help wincing. Just the thought of that happening was enough to turn even the strongest stomach, in my book.

"Anyway," Miko continued, "I had to be in a cast for six months, and I've had operations on my leg over the past four years as I grew. Hopefully, by the time I'm eighteen, I won't need them anymore."

"Good," I said. "Well, see you later."

"See you."

"Nice meeting you."

"You, too."

When Daddy and I returned to my room, I went to the bathroom. When I came out, I said, "I want to sit in the chair." You see, there's a chair in the room, but it's not for visitors, unless it happens to be the only one available, depending on how many visitors they get. It's for patients who want to get out of bed and sit in a chair.

"All right," Daddy said. He settled me in the chair, laid my Walkman and my book in my lap, and sat in the chair on the other side of the room. That's when I noticed that my feet barely touched the floor. I guess I'm not as tall as I thought I was.

I switched CDs, and spent the morning in the chair, alternating back and forth between reading a chapter of my book, and listening to my Walkman. As soon as the nurse brought my lunch, I handed my book and Walkman to Daddy, who packed them, then laid my sundress on the bed.

I'd just finished lunch, and set the tray aside, when Dr. Dellenkamp came in. "Well, Karen, you can go home now," she said.

"Thanks," I said. I'd been wondering when that was going to happen.

As soon as the doctor left, I took my sundress into the bathroom, changed clothes, and used the toilet again. Almost as soon as I'd come out of the bathroom, laid the hospital gown on the bed, put my sandals on, and sat down in the chair again, Brian returned with a wheelchair. "Ready?" he asked.

"I guess so," I answered as I sat in the wheelchair. Daddy picked up my duffel bag, and we left the room.

When we got out to the parking garage, Brian actually had the presence of mind to wait until Daddy had brought the van around. I also remembered when Jason told me the story of when he'd gotten the scar on his face, and about the nurse being a complete idiot and not waiting until Diann had brought the car around. I'm just glad Brian has more sense than that, because otherwise, Daddy would've given him a pice of his mind. (I also knew that if Kristy had been there, she would've started humming the _People's Court _them. Jason once told me that she'd done that on his first day at SMS, after noticing that he'd brought his lunch from home, due to the fact that the cafeteria food pretty much sucks.)

I was glad to finally be going home.


	10. Welcome Home, Part Two

**CHAPTER 10: Welcome Home, Part Two**

When we pulled into the driveway at the big house, we saw Kristy and Jason sitting on the porch swing. I got out of the car and ran to them. "Slow down, Karen!" Daddy called, but I was so glad to be home that I just ignored him.

"Hi," Jason said.

"Feeling better?" Kristy asked. I nodded.

I went up on the porch and sat on the swing. Andrew joined me a minute later. "Hi, Karen," he said. I smiled at him. "Can't you talk?"

"She just had her tonsils out, honey," Kristy explained. "It may be hard for her to talk for a while."

"Oh, I see," Andrew said.

A minute later, Daddy carried my duffel bag onto the porch. I guess I was so excited to be home that I completely forgot I had it. "Let's go inside, okay?" he suggested.

Jason put his arm across my shoulders and led me into the house. Daddy and Kristy followed us, and Andrew brought up the rear, lugging my duffel bag. Now that I think about it, seeing that poor little kid dragging that big duffel bag made me wish I had my camera. I also think I should've helped him with it. I hope he's not too upset with me.

"Hi, Professor," David Michael said as soon as I came inside.

"Hi, Karen!" Emily exclaimed, running up and throwing her arms around my waist, just like she'd done when we came home from Washington. For the first time in my life, I understood what Jason meant when he said that Andrew or I always knocked the wind out of him. I'm also glad that it was my tonsils that got taken out, and not my appendix!

I decided I wanted some dessert, so I went to the kitchen. Andrew took my duffel bag to my room. In the kitchen, I saw Nannie, surrounded by all the ice cream in the house. "Hi, Karen," she said. "What's your pleasure?"

I picked up the carton of cherry vanilla and handed it to her. "Okay, one cherry vanilla Nannie surprise coming right up," Nannie said as she opened the cupboard and got out a bowl.

A cherry vanilla Nannie surprise, as she'd called it, consisted of not only the entire carton, but also enough sprinkles, nuts, chocolate chips, and hot fudge to make Kristy's friend, Claudia, jump for joy. And you know something? Part of me wished that Claudia was there.

After I finished my ice cream—and yes, I shared with everybody; I'm no ingrate—I motioned that I was going to my room to rest. "We understand," Elizabeth said.

On my way out of the kitchen, I tugged on Jason's arm and motioned for him to follow me. I really needed to talk to him.


	11. A Talk With Jason

**CHAPTER 11: A Talk With Jason**

When I got to my room, I kicked off my sandals and stretched out on my bed. Jason pulled the desk chair up beside the bed and sat down.

"How are you feeling, love?" he asked, rubbing my arm. As soon as he said that, I felt like I was reliving the day of Andrew's bike accident, and Jason comforting me. From the first time he'd called me that, I felt like I was walking on air.

"Oh, I'm just glad my voice is coming back," I answered. "I just hope it's fully restored soon."

Jason nodded. "I know what you mean," he said. "I still remember when my cousin, John, had his out a few months ago, and as much of a chatterbox as he is, he had to get used to not saying anything for a while."

I groaned. I guess all those years of not knowing when to shut up had finally caught up with me.

"Hey," Jason said. "It's all right, Karen. Time will pass before you know it. Believe me, you'll be reciting the Gettysburg Address in no time."

I managed a very soft laugh, despite the fact that I couldn't memorize it to save my life, let alone recite it.

"Oh, before I forget," Jason said. "When we left the hospital last night, I asked Mum if we could stop somewhere, and I got something for you." He went to my desk, and picked up a green shopping bag with the word "ZINGY'S" on it. In case you're wondering, Zingy's is a store at the Washington Mall that sells _really _tacky stuff. It's basically Claudia's kind of store.

He put the sack on the bed, and I reached into it. I pulled out a black sleeveless T-shirt with the words "DEF LEPPARD" on it, in red.

"Wow, thanks!" I exclaimed, brushing the sack off the bed. I didn't even care that I'd never heard of these guys before!

"You're welcome," he said, folding up the sack, laying it on my bookshelf, and sitting back down in the chair. "Oh, did I ever tell you about the time I got the scar on my face?"

I nodded. The one thing that really stuck out in my mind about that was the fact htat the nail that had been in that board missed his eye by an inch. I still get goosebumps whenever I think about that.

"And did I ever tell you about the time3 I fell out of my treehouse at Mom's?"

"I don't think so."

"Well," I said, folding my hands behind my head, "I knew Mom said I wasn't supposed to climb up there, but the 'magic wand' was there, and well, being the Einstein that I was, I went up and got it. You know even if I'd held it in my teeth, I probably still would've fallen. I'm just glad I landed on my stomach, and not my head!"

Both of us laughed. And that was when I noticed the little creases in the sides of his mouth when he was laughing. It made him look like Bilbo Baggins from _The Hobbit. _It was so cool.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said. "And if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me."

I sat up and gave him a hug and kiss. "I'll let you get some rest now," he said as he helped me lie back down.

As he stood up, he tickled my foot. I smiled and pulled my foot away as he put the desk chair back, hung my new shirt over it, and left.

What a sweetheart.


	12. Thursday Morning

**CHAPTER 12: Thursday Morning**

Early the next morning, Emily bounded into my room and started bouncing up and down on the bed. "Time to get up, Karen," she grinned.

"Ugh, let me sleep a little longer," I moaned, pulling the pillow down around my ears.

Emily stopped bouncing up and down. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Should I get Daddy?"

"No, I'm all right," I said hoarsely. "Just give me a chance to wake up. What time is it, anyway?"

"8:00...no, 8:01," Emily answered. "Say, isn't it usually when you're having fun that time flies?"

Even though that joke sounded pretty corny, I had to laugh. "Emily, I swear you're getting to be more like Sam every day."

"Really? I didn't notice."

I sat up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and put my glasses on. "Ready for breakfast?" Emily asked as she jumped to the floor. The first thing I noticed was the oversized T-shirt that she was wearing. It had red, orange, green, and yellow stripes, which made her look like a giant roll of Life-Savers. The shirt used to be mine, but I outgrew it, so Daddy gave it to her.

The two of us went downstairs to find everyone already at the kitchen table. "Feeling better?" Elizabeth asked.

"A little," I answered. "Hopefully, I can make it through breakfast without it ending up all over the floor."

Everyone smiled. "Have a seat," Kristy said, patting the one beside her, as Elizabeth handed me a plate with eggs and bacon, and a glass of milk.

I somehow managed to get through breakfast, then went back upstairs to get dressed. I put on my red "STONEYBROOK KIDS" T-shirt, a pair of white capris, and sandals.

When I got outside, I saw Druscilla, or Dru, Porter, coming out of her grandmother's house. As I would've expected, she was dressed in black, but had a white ribbon in her hair. The only times I've ever seen her wear any other color were when we were in Washington, as well as that Halloween party when we were seven. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Dru, but I just wish her wardrobe was a _little _more colorful. She's also the type of person who never wears shoes in the summer, indoors or out. I'm amazed that she hasn't stepped on a bee or a piece of glass yet.

"Hi, Dru," I said.

"Hi, Karen," she answered. "I just heard you had your tonsils out. How are you feeling?"

"A little better," I said as we walked up the sidewalk. "I'm just glad my voice is coming back, and I can actually keep food down."

She nodded. That's when I saw Mrs. Porter, Dru's grandmother, coming from behind the house with a basket of begonias. We waved to each other. Like I said before, I've long since outgrown my beliefs that she was a witch named Morbidda Destiny, but I never want to relive what I went through when she had that garden club meeting when I was six. To this day, I don't know who was more embarrassed: her, Daddy and Elizabeth, Grandma Packett, or me.

Anyway, I just knew that today was going to be a pretty good day.


	13. Charlotte's Visit

**CHAPTER 13: Charlotte's Visit**

After lunch, the doorbell rang. Kristy went to answer it, and I was right behind her.

There stood Charlotte Johanssen. The BSC used to sit for her, and now she's a member, as well as Becca Ramsey's best friend. Becca had also been in the Stoneybrook Kids, and since she just turned twelve, Myriah Perkins, who's almost ten, is her replacement, since the age range is seven to eleven.

I've known Charlotte for a few years. The first time I met her was when there was a Little Miss Stoneybrook Pageant here in town. To this day, I can still see Margo Pike peeling a banana with her feet, and eating it, while reciting "The House That Jack Built". Anyway, this was a beauty pageant for girls between the ages of five and eight. (Think Miss America, only without swimsuits and eliminations after each segmnet.) At the time, Claire Pike, another Stoneybrook Kids member, and Myriah were five, I was six, Margo Pike was seven, and Charlotte was eight. For the talent portion, I'd worn the flower girl dress from Daddy and Elizabeth's wedding and sang "The Wheels On The Bus". (Kristy's friend Dawn Schafer once told me that when she saw me in that dress, she thought I was going to sing a love song or something.) Charlotte was going to recite a portion of _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, _but she forgot her piece, ran offstage in tears, and asked to be taken home. Kristy says that Claudia still blames herself for coercing Charlotte into it. Both of us made our parents promise to never show the video to anyone, except our families. Anyway, Myriah ended up being the first runner-up, and some little girl named Sabrina Bouvier—a real pageant-head, according to Claudia—ended up being Little Miss Stoneybrook.

Kristy also used to have a softball team called Kristy's Krushers, and later, some of the Krushers merged with some of Bart's Bashers, and we became the Krashers. Anyway, Kristy always said that the purpose of the team was to help kids who were either too young or too scared to try out for Little League. My brothers and I, along with Hannie and her brother, Linny, and Stoneybrook Kids members/alumni, Jamie Newton, Jackie Rodowsky, and the Pikes. Nick also just turned twelve, and his replacement is Tim Hsu, Scott's brother, who's also almost ten; Scott's almost twelve, but at the moment, I'm not sure who his replacement will be when the time comes. They'd all been on the team, along with several other neighborhood kids. Charlotte had been one of our cheerleaders, along with Haley Braddock and Vanessa Pike, two of her best friends, and coincidentally, they're also cheerleaders at SMS. In fact, Charlotte is twelve, and like me, she skipped a grade. She'll be going into eighth, and I'll be going into sixth.

Anyway, back to Charlotte being at the door. "Hi, Char," Kristy said. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Charlotte said. "Hi, Karen."

"Hi," I whispered.

"Let's go into the living room," Kristy suggested. The three of us went into the living room and sat down: Charlotte and I on the couch, and Kristy in the armchair.

"How are you feeling?" Charlotte askeed as soon as we'd sat down.

"Well, I still can't talk above a whisper, but other than that, I'm doing all right," I answered.

Charlotte nodded. "I was about your age when I had mine out," she said. "I know what it's like." I figured if anyone would know about that, Charlotte would, since her mom is a doctor, and I'm sure she's seen her share of surgeries.

"Thanks," I said, managing a tiny smile. "Did Becca tell you about our trip?"

Charlotte nodded. "How's Jason?" she asked.

"Well, it's been a couple of weeks since his surgery, and he still has to take it easy for awhile, but other than that, he's doing all right."

"Good."

"Did she tell you anything else?"

"Well, other than Jason's first words when he woke up from surgery, no," she answered.

The three of us got a good laugh. Bebe had told us that when Jason woke up from surgery, he'd started singing "Good Morning, Starshine".

"What was the first thing you wrote?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not too sure, but I'm told that I wrote, 'Did I miss the operation?'" she answered.

"Well, at least you didn't write, 'Am I alive?'" I grinned.

Charlotte smiled, then checked her watch. "Well, I can't stay," she said. "I promised Stacey we'd go to Washington Mall and do some serious shopping."

Stacey also happens to be one of Kristy's friends, and I'm told she'd been Charlotte's favorite baby-sitter. Charlotte was crushed when Stacey moved back to New York, then thrilled when she returned to Stoneybrook. Stacey also has diabetes, and I'm told that Dr. Johanssen helped her through a rough time. Charlotte also says that she and Stacey are almost like sisters.

"Well, have fun," I said.

"Thanks."

"See you later."

"'Bye, Karen."

As Charlotte let herself out, I thought it was nice of her to come and visit.


	14. The Weekend

**CHAPTER 14: The Weekend**

Late Saturday morning, Kristy and I were sitting on the porch swing. I'd just kicked off my jelly shoes and laid my feet in Kristy's lap, when Jason pulled up in his truck. When we'd first met him, he'd owned a motor scooter, but his mom and Steve had given him the truck as an early eighteenth birthday present.

"Hi," Jason said as Kristy moved my feet off her lap. "Are you ready, Kristy?"

"Just a minute," she said, then she went inside.

"Kristy and I are going out to lunch at the Rosebud Café," Jason told me as I examined the bottoms of my feet for blisters, and to my surprise, there weren't any.

"Good," I said. At the same time, I thought, _Kristy and Jason are going out on a date! I knew it! _Ever since the last day of the competition in Washington, I'd had the feeling that those two liked each other. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to get married someday.

When Kristy came out of the house, she had her green fanny pack around her waist. She climbed into the front seat of Jason's truck. As they pulled away from the curb, Jason honked and waved.

About two hours later, the phone rang. Since my voice was almost back to normal, I answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Karen. It's Mary Anne. Is Kristy home yet?"

Just then, I heard the front door open, and Kristy came in. "Just a sec," I said, waving Kristy over. "It's Mary Anne," I told her as I handed her the phone.

While Kristy and Mary Anne talked, I sat on the couch and picked up a nearby copy of _Teen People. _Even though the article I was reading—or pretending to read—was very interesting, I was more intered in Kristy's phone conversation with Mary Anne.

When Kristy got off the phone, she sat next to me on the couch. "Mary Anne was wanting to know how my date with Jason went," she told me. I figured that if anyone wanted to know about that, it would be Mary Anne, since she's Kristy's best friend.

"You like him, don't you?" I asked.

Kristy sat back with a huge grin on her face. "Yup," she said. "I sure do."

"I thought so. So, how did it go?"

"It went pretty well," she said. "In fact, Jason even offered to pick up the check."

"Wow! Did he?"

"Well, he started to, but I'd already told him I'd chip in a few bucks," she answered. Then she got a serious look on her face, but not quite as serious as the one she'd gotten on the day I'd met Jason at the library, when she was telling Hannie and me to basically leave him alone. "You know something, Karen? I think I'm beginning to understand why you like him so much."

I was glad to hear this. If anyone understood my feelings, I knew it would be Kristy.


	15. Karen Brewer, Babysitter in Training

**CHAPTER 15: Karen Brewer, Baby-sitter in Training**

On Sunday afternoon, I was in my room crocheting some wristbands for Kristy's birthday, which was next month. You see, soon after Nannie came to live there, she taught me to knit and crochet. I was going to have her help me finish the wristbands. Just then, I heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I called.

"It's me," Kristy's voice answered.

"Just a minute," I answered as I quickly put the crocheting in the bag and hid it under the bed. "Come on in."

Kristy opened the door and entered the room. "Can I talk to you?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. I wondered what she was about to tell me.

Kristy sat on my bed. "Well," she began, playing with the thread on my quilt, which Nannie had made me for my ninth birthday. "I got a letter in the mail yesterday from Ohio University in Athens, offering me a scholarship in Physical Education."

"Is that what you're going to do?" I asked.

She nodded. "I've been thinking about this all night, and the thing is, when I leave for college next year, I'll need someone to take over the Baby-sitters Club."

Right then and there, I had a feeling that I was just going to love what was coming next. "And you chose _me?" _I asked. She nodded, and I threw my arms around her. "Thanks! Thanks a million!" This was the best news I'd heard in a long time.

"You're welcome," she smiled. "In fact, I'd like to invite you and your friends to participate in a Baby-sitters Club Baby-sitters Training session first."

"Great," I said. "Do you know when this will be?"

"We're having it next week," she said. "Registration will be tomorrow morning, and we'll have sessions all week. We're having professional instructors teach all of the topics."

"That's good," I said. "How much is it?"

"It'll be ten dollars a day, and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Registration will be tomorrow at 9 a.m., and we'll provide lunches," she answered.

"And what's for lunch?" I asked. Knowing Kristy's friends, Claudia and Dawn, lunches would be either unhealthy or too healthy. I also remembered the night that Daddy had his heart attack, which later turned out to be a mild one, and how mad I was when Mom wouldn't let us stay with him during his recovery. Anyway, Kristy's friends, Mary Anne, Dawn, and Shannon (yes, the human Shannon), came over. Dawn offered to make lunches, and Kristy started making jokes about tofu and bean sprouts.

"We're making all kinds of sandwiches, and they'll provide chips and pop," she answered, "but if you want a candy bar or something, you'll have to provide your own money for that."

"Okay," I said.

"I've already spoken to your dad, and he's paid your fee in advance."

"Okay. Where will it be?"

"I've already spoken to some people at the Y, and we'll use the pool and aerobics room," she answered.

"The pool?" I asked. "What for?"

"When we're teaching water safety," she explained. "Kids your age need to know not only how to stay safe in the water, but also how to keep others safe."

I nodded.

I couldn't believe it. I, Karen Brewer, was about to be trained as a baby-sitter. As Kristy left my room, and I returned to my crocheting, I thought, _Is this my lucky day, or what?_

Somehow, I had a feeling that it was.


	16. Babysitters Training

**CHAPTER 16: Baby-sitters Training**

The next morning, I woke up at 7:30, which wasn't much later than I'd normally get up on a school morning. "Good morning, Karen," Daddy said when I came into the kitchen. I was so glad to be feeling much better than I had a week before.

"Good morning," I answered, taking a seat across from Daddy and pouring myself a bowl of Crunchy-O's, which has been my favorite cereal since I was really little.

"Hey, your voice is coming back!" David Michael exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" I asked, reaching for the milk.

"You're sounding great," Daddy said.

"Thanks," I said. "Call me crazy, but I actually miss you guys constantly reminding me to use my indoor voice."

Well, naturally, the entire family just laughed themselves sick when I said that. I was so glad that with all I'd been through over the past few weeks, I'd never lost my sense of humor, because without that, I don't know where I'd be.

After breakfast, Kristy said, "Well, Karen, time to go."

I couldn't wait to see what the day would bring.

A little while later, we arrived at the Y. After everyone had registered, we were given a folder and a schedule. According to the schedule, we were to have our swimming on Thursday. I doubted if there was any way I could get around it, especially since I'd just had my tonsils out.

Apparently, Kristy read my mind, because at lunch time, I saw her talking to one of the instructors, then she called me over. "Kristy tells me that you just had your tonsils out," the lady said.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered.

"Do you wear earplugs?"

"Only when I swim."

"Well," the lady said, "I'd suggest you do that, especially if you're going to be in the water, even if you're not swimming."

I knew that Kristy would think of something, because, well, she's _Kristy, _and that's what Kristy does best.


	17. Graduation

**CHAPTER 17: Graduation**

We had training all week. Like I said, our orientation was on Monday morning, then after lunch, we had infant care. On Tuesday morning, we finished the unit on infant are, then had basic first aid in the afternoon. This was something I already knew about, because I'd spent the last few years patching up Andrew or Emily whenever one of them had fallen and hurt themselves. There was also the time that Kristy had cut her hand wide open on the screen door in the kitchen. I'd not only called the ambulance, but I'd also taken care of Emily. On Wednesday, we had infant/child choking/CPR.

Thursday was swimming/water safety day, the day I'd been worried about. Well, maybe a little. We were each paired up with a partner. Since Pamela and I had officially buried the hatchet when we were in Washington, DC, I didn't mind being paired up with her. (Hannie and Nancy were paired together, though.) I also knew that Kristy had talked to the lifeguard, so I felt a little better.

What we had to do was this: one of us had to pretend that we were drowning, and the other person had to "save" them, using two or three different methods, such as a floatation device or a body part, such as a hand, arm, or leg. I'm just glad we didn't have to grab them by the hair!

_Well, here goes nothing, _I thought as I put in my earplugs and jumped into the water. After I finished, it was Pamela's turn.

Friday was test day. We had to take all of these written tests that covered all the areas we'd covered that week. We even got to leave at lunch time, instead of staying for the afternoon. I felt confident that I'd done well on the tests.

Saturday was graduation day. We were going to get our certificates that afternoon

"Don't worry about a thing, Karen," Kristy said reassuringly. "You did a great job on the tests, and I'm sure you'll get some kind of award."

"Thanks," I said. I also remembered when the BSC members had taken that infant-care course, and Kristy had been surprised when she'd gotten that award for the highest score on one of the tests.

When we pulled into a parking space, we saw the Everetts' SUV pulling in beside us. Apparently, Jason wanted to cheer me on.

"Hi, Jason," I said as I got out of the station wagon. "Come to see me graduate?"

"Aye," he said. I threw my arms around him, and we gave each other a hug.

When we got inside, Kristy led me over to where the other program graduates were, and took a seat near me.

Before too long, the ceremony got underway. The first certificate to be presented was a participation certificate. Then the presented the certificates to the people who had scored the highest on the tests we'd taken the day before. I weon for the highest scores on the infant-care test. (I guess all those years of helping with Emily, as well as Nancy's brother Danny really paid off.) Jannie Gilbert, one of Pamela's so-called friends in second grade, won for the highest scores on the first-aid test. Nancy won for the highest scores on the infant/child choking/CPR test.

The next award to be presented was for the water safety/lifesaving techniques unit. It would be presented to the best team. I thought for sure that Pamela and I wouldn't have a chance

"The team we'd like to present the certificates to is a very special team," the presenter said, "considering the fact that one member recently had her tonsils out."

I knew right away that they were talking about me and Pamela. We smiled at each other, and sat up taller in our chairs.

"Would Karen Brewer nad Pamela Harding please come up and get your awards?" the presenter asked.

I grabbed Pamela's arm, and we ran up on stage. This was the most unexpected surprise.


	18. After the Graduation

A/N: This is the last chapter.

**CHAPTER 18: After the Graduation**

After the graduation ceremony, Daddy and Elizabeth hosted a party for me and my friends, and the Everetts came, too. It reminded me a little of the party we'd had on the day that we'd come home from Washington. The only difference was, I was feeling a lot better than I had that day.

We had pretty much the same food theat we'd had at the other party. In case you're wondering, yes, Daddy and Elizabeth had to buy and make more, because you don't expect some food to stay fresh for two weeks. (Can you say food poisoning?) After we'd gotten our plates, my friends and I went into the dining room. A few minues later, Jason joined us. Jason sat at the head of the table. I sat on his left, and Nancy sat on his right. Hannie sat on the other side of me.

"You guys did great," Jason told me. He squeezed my shoulder affectionately.

"Thanks," I said. "You know, I was really surprised that Pamela and I got the award that we did. I thought for sure that it'd go to someone else."

Kristy joined us just in time to hear that. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she said, taking the empty seat next to Nancy. "When my friends and I took that infant-care course, I thought for sure that Dawn would get the award that I did."

I knew that since then, Dawn had moved back to California, where she'd come from. I also knew that my friends and I were going to be the best baby-sitters in the world.

I got up from the table and started to sway back and forth. "Karen, are you all right?" Nancy asked in alarm.

I didn't answer her. I tried to grab onto the back of the chair to steady myself. Jason and Kristy jumped up from the table in an attempt to help me, but I fell to the floor and passed out.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the couch with a wet washcloth on my forehead and my feet in Jason's lap. He was checking the pulse in my neck, just like I'd done for him on the day that he'd collapsed outside the restrooms at the Rax in Washington, DC.

"Wh...what happened?" I asked, dazed.

"You passed out," he explained, taking the washcloth off my forehead. "I guess everything that's been happening lately just caught up with you."

Hannie and Nancy came over just then. "Are you all right, Karen?" Nancy asked.

"I...I..." I said weakly.

"Shh," Jason whispered. "Take it easy now. You just fainted, and need to rest."

"Poor kid," Hannie said.

At that moment, Daddy and Kristy came over. "Are you all right, Karen?" Kristy asked as Daddy took the washcloth from Jason.

"I think so," I managed to say.

"Would you like to go up to your room and lie down?" Daddy asked. I nodded.

"All right," Jason said. Daddy handed the washcloth to Kristy, and she headed to the bathroom with it. Jason moved my feet off his lap, then he and Daddy helped me to my feet. "I'll be up to see you before I leave."

Daddy gently took my arm and led me upstairs. When we got to my room, he removed my shoes and socks, and I laid my glasses on the nightstand. "Have a nice nap," Daddy said before he left. I fell asleep as soon as he'd left the room.

A little while later, I felt a hand on my forehead, and heard Jason's voice saying, "Karen?"

I opened my eyes, and there he was. Boy, talk about _deja vu! _It reminded me a little of the day before the awards dinner in Washington, when I'd taken a nap, and Jason had woken me when he'd returned from the doctor's office. "Are you leaivng now?"

He nodded. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

I smiled. Like I said before, he's a really sweet guy, and Kristy's really lucky to have him for a boyfriend.

**THE END**


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